27. Two Things

Harmony's P.O.V.

December, 2000

It's currently Christmas Eve, and drinks are being downed like water at a black & white party being thrown for celebrities only at a mansion of one of hip-hop's first fucking ladies, Missy Elliot.

The fact that Diamond Cuts even received an invitation to this event is literally a testament to us making it in the industry, and all four of us couldn't have been more excited.

Even Kayla appears to have left her hating ass ways alone, and it's all about being merry or whatever.

Now, most people would probably prefer to spend Christmas with their families. You know... opening wrapped presents under a huge decorated tree, sipping eggnog, the whole nine.

The thing is though that Ash's parents had disowned her years ago over her choice of pursuing music career.

Kayla never even so much as mentions her folks. None of us knows a thing about her family stuff cause she's like super secretive about it.

And myself and Serenity, well... pretty sure y'all already know what the situation is with us and the woman that birthed us, although... Nity did try to track mama down so that she could send her a gift, but alas, Tiffany had disappeared once more. No doubt the bitch would show up whenever she wants to beg for money again though, but until then...

Anyways, this is a Diamond Cuts story, not our deadbeat mother's story.

As far as the other industry people that are all gathered in Missy's huge mansion, I'm pretty sure that most of them do in fact have families to celebrate the holidays with, but like fame is literally life for them, and being invited to this party is a huge honor.

So who wouldn't attend it, to be honest?

I'll tell you exactly who.

The white bo...

"Hellooooo, Earth to Harmony!!" Ashley slaps her hands in front of my face just as my phone buzzes in the pockets of my somewhat baggy white pants I've chosen to wear to this event, dressing rather casually. I mean, I did have a rather expensive mink coat on earlier, but once we've all gotten indoors, you'd think it was still summertime outside, what with the tight cropped black spaghetti straps top I've got underneath, showcasing my taught flat stomach, a silver stud belly piercing in stark contrast with my smooth brown skin, simply because hoe is life.

"Ay, can you hear me or what?! YOUR FUCKING PHONE IS RINGING, BITCH!!" Ash practically yells in my ear then, almost causing me to bitch slap her on instinct cause you don't just go around yelling in people's ears like that ajr don't expect to get punched.

Some of the other people at the party then look weirdly at the four of us on the dance floor.

Serenity giggles and Kayla rolls her eyes.

I then take out my phone, flip it open and look at the screen, seeing a very familiar number persistently trying to contact me once more, even though I been stopped taking this annoying ass person's calls a long ass time ago cause fuck them.

"It wasn't important anyways," I then promptly slam my phone back shut and smile and my girls.

Contacting me on Christmas though?? Fuck is wrong with this woman, does she not have a life of her own? She's THAT obsessed with bringing Em down?!

Maybe I should warn him about this.

Then again, it's not like she could ever actually do anything to him. Cause if she could, then she wouldn't have needed to recruit me in the first place.

"Let's go chill at the minibar," Ash grabs my arm, interrupting my thoughts, and all four of us then make our way though the crowd and towards one of the various lounges Missy has got set-up all over her place.

"You straight floating in the clouds lately, sis," Serenity who never could quite handle her liquor giggles at me as soon as we all take our seats.

A bartender, this somewhat cute but clearly gay dude immediately takes our orders.

"She ain't floating on no clouds. Bitch is just mad that at the end of the day, no matter how long she's been letting Eminem hit, and despite him refering to her as his girl? Once it truly came down to holiday season, the white man's left her in the dust and never looked back," Kayla starts speaking just as our drinks are being placed in front of us.

Taking a sip of my strawberry daiquiri and don't say anything at first, just stare at sis, quietly accessing her.

Kayla smirks and flicks the long micro braids her hairs is currently styled in off of her shoulders.

"Girl, I don't know why you eyeing me like you are ready to fight a bitch for cause we both know you not finna do nothing anyways," she grins confidently, the look of disdain she clearly hold on me so clear in her hateful eyes. "I mean, it's not my fault that your so-called man is most likely balls deep in his baby mama's pussy right about now as we speak. And that it's all on you, sis. I mean... if Marshall was my man, I'd never allow him to spend Christmas with his ex, their mutual kid involved or not. But you are gonna tell me this shit don't bother you? Oh, okay. You are either really brave or really foolish then."

Kayla takes a sip of her drink now as well.

And I don't even say anything, I just smile, causing her to sort of snap almost immediately.

"Fuck is so funny, Harmony?! What, Em spending time with his actual family don't bother you at all then, huh?" She  continues to ask me then, tauntingly.

Both Ash and Serenity about to jump Kayla's simple ass right then and there, I simply gesture for them not to get involved.

Simply because, as much as I'd appreciate their support, I've never needed a help in a fight before, no matter what kind of fight it was.

But if I was a lesser bitch, I'd probably be hurt by this whole thing Kay is saying to me right now.

Like... I'd probably wonder why does sis appears to hate me so much, and we are supposed to be if not necessary friends or family (cause let's face it, myself, Serenity and Ash are that, Kay is simply someone we've met during the audition process for Diamond Cuts and got stuck with), then at the very least, teammates.

And I sort of like Kayla.

I mean... if sis didn't turn out to be such a bitter and hating ass bitch, then... I'd probably view her in exactly the same way I view both my younger sibling and my best friend.

She'd be one if my own.

But the thing is?

Kay is in fact a hating ass bitch though, and she's been testing me lately.

And tonight?

And I been wanted to kick her ass, but I prefer to play mind games with her instead, rubbing it in her face that I am in fact a way popular Diamond Cuts girl than she is, knowing damn well it would piss her the fuck off. Cause Kay IS in fact a jealous ass little hoe.

Sis simply can't help herself and I almost feel bad for her.

Kayla then crosses eyes with me and bizarrely tries to slap me.

So I punch her dead in the face like a dude would.

Kayla screams out, falling backwards, and I just calmly finish the rest of my drink (which by the way tastes almost as good as a strawberry flavored lollipop, but not quite), then I just simply stand over her body, while unwrapping one of my lollipops.

And to think that I had wanted to take a break from sweets for a few days too.

Just to see if I could do it, but apparently not.

Oh well...

"The  reason I could give a fuck less if my man spends time with his ex is simply because there isn't a bitch alive on this planet that could compare to me, and for his own sake, I'd hope that the white boy knows that. And I think that he do. That's why I AM actually in fact unbothered," I state, staring emotionlesslybdown at Kayla who looks up from the ground at me with pure shock and tears reflected in her eyes. She probably never thought I'd actually whoop her ass.

Well, surprise, bitch!!

Absent-mindedly playing with the ends of my long jet black straightened hair, I continue, "And the reason I had finally smacked the shit out of your ass tonight, Kay, is cause you fucking get on my nerves. Been getting on my nerves for a while now. Like seriously? This hating ass shit ain't pretty."

Holding her face in her hands, the skin on the side of her jaw is beginning to redden where I'd punched her, Kayla just stares at me with huge eyes, rapidly blinking as tears begin to gather in them, but she doesn't say anything just as I figured she won't.

After another second or two, I just shrug and go back to my seat at the bar.

From the corner of my eye, I can see sis rapidly scrambling to get back up on her feet and running out.

Good.

Let her dizzy ass go somewhere and cool off.

My phone vibrating in the pocket of my somewhat baggy white pants I've got on, I pull it out, seeing the white boy's name flash on the caller ID. I want to roll my eyes at it, but a small smile creeps it's way onto my lip-gloss covered lips. Briefly looking in the direction of my girls at the bar, I hastily sneak away from them, walking towards a quieter area in Missy's huge mansion.

Flipping the small pink device open, I place it to my ear, simultaneously covering my other ear with my hand in order to block out some of the party noise like the heavy low thump of the hip-hop beat blasting through all of the speakers and drunken people having a good time, in order to be able to hear him better.

"Hello?"

"Yo," Em's nonchalant and distinctive voice fills my eardrum, but almost immediately, I can hear a bunch of other voices at the other end of the phone line as well.

"Marshall, who are you talking to??" A rather shrill female voice comes through first, and I'm assuming that's that baby mama of his, at whom he almost immediately barks.

"Mind ya business, Kim," he says confirming my guess. "What you listening in to my phone conversations for, huh?!"

Then, there's what appeara to be like a small child's voice.

Two children's voices, actually.

"Daddy, what are you doing?"

"Uncle! Auntie Kim says it's time to open the presents!!"

"Imma be right there, girls. Just give dad a minute, aight?"

"Okay!!" Two small voices say in unison right before sharing a small giggle.

Then there's a bunch of other voices I don't recognize, some male, some female, but then, I can also hear some of his buddies from D12.

"Ay, Merry Christmas, Harmony, you heard? And say hi to that fine ass friend of yours. You know, the stuck up one! Tell her I love her!!" That one was clearly the chubby dude, Rufus, a.k.a. Bizarre.

The whole D12 apparently also on attendance, as well as their family members and his child's mother. It all sounds like a family gathering. The kind of me and Serenity used to always wish for as kids as well.

A brief shuffling noise at the other end of the phone line interrupts my thoughts, then, all of a sudden, it's completely quiet there, all quiet except for Marshall's slightly agitated voice, and I'm assuming he's managed to get away from everybody somehow, and I also can just see his freckled face, probably irriated as all hell, jaw clenched tight and all, and him dragging one of his large hands down his pale face. Squinted blue eyes appearing to carry the whole weight of the world on his shoulders, I swear this boy is so dramatic sometimes!!

"Listen, my bad about all that. Motherfuckers don't know how to act right sometimes, you know what I'm saying?"

Finally finding a quiet spot in one of Missy's luxurious guest bathrooms, I close and lock the door behind me, leabing against it with my back, the cool surface of it contrasting rather sharply with the exposed strip of my skin.

Leave it to me to wear a cropped top in winter.

Hoe truly is life.

"It's cool, Marshall. You are with your family and friends. I get it," staring at my reflexion on the bathroom's mirror, I play with the ends of my silk-ptessed hair.

Hearing the white boy's distinctive voice come through the other end of the phone line once more, loud and clear.

"I ain't even gonna lie, I kinda miss your crazy ass, girl," he states smoothly, and I roll my eyes at him, knowing damn well that he couldn't see me anyway.

"Kind of?" I smile. It's actually nice hearing him say that. Go figure.

Hearing him scoff in exasperation, and once again, I can practically see him right now. Bleach-blonde hair slightly tousled and pale freckled face with that goofy smirk on it with his blue eyes squinted just staring at me all sneaky like the boy thinks he's so slick. Easily picturing how he would gesture with his hands. He always gestures a lot when he talks. Almost like he's on stage rapping.

"Yoooo, you gonna make me say that soft mushy shit for real? Aight, I miss your crazy ass a lot. Happy now?" Marshall blurts out.

"Tons," I mockingly say in response, my voice dripping with mock sweetness and sarcasm.

"Ya know I can just picture you rolling them evil ass eyes at me right now, girl."

"Nigga, fuck you mean, 'evil'? I'm not."

"Could've fooled me, rhinestone. But guess what. I actually like your nutty self just how you are. Must have a thing for crazy bitches, you know what I'm saying?"

"Oh, for sure," I say sarcastically, but I quietly laugh to myself at Marshall's back-handed ass compliment to me, and I don't why, but I can feel my face sort of warm us, especially my cheeks as I start to play with the ends of my long hair, back leaning against the bayhroom door.

There's a brief pause, and I briefly close my eyes, my heart beating way too fast for whatever reason.

A low thump of beat still being faintly both felt and heard through the wall.

As well as the distant murmur of excited voices at Em's end of the line.

"Yo, I swear to God, babe I ain't know what to do with you sometimes," he grimbles then. "Why you always gotta be so goddamn.."

"Nigga, I literally didn't even say anything," I shrug, smirking at my reflection in the mirror.

"Yeah, aight."

"What, boy?"

A loud ass exhale could be heard from him next, more like yet another scoff.

Almost like he absolutely hates to say what comes out of his mouth next.

As though he hates the mere sound of it.

"Aight listen, Harmony. I fucking DO miss you. A lot."

"Um... okay."

I hate how much I actually like hearing him keep saying that, but I don't really say much back. Cause why would I?

Marshall grumbles something unintelligible under his breath before continuing.

"And I know couples are supposed to celebrate holidays together or whatnot, and I would've chilled with you tonight. But when it comes to Christmas, it's all about my kid. Shit's bad enough that I hardly even get to see Hai no more cause I'm always in LA recording and shit. I'm missing out so much of her life, literally missing her growing up and that shit hurts. So of course I wasn't gonna miss out on this day with her. See, I don't know I told you this before or nah, but Christmas ain't even just a holiday to me, it's also my daughter's birthday."

And the way he fumbles with his words then, it's actually kind of cute.

"You literally don't even have to explain yourself to me on this, Marshall. I get it. And frankly, I'd lose all my respect for you if you didn't put your daughter first. You are a great parent."

"You fucking with me, rhinestone?"

"No, not on this. Why would you think that I am?"

"Well shit, I ain't know. Just cause that's what you normally do. You love to play mind games with me and shit."

"Oh no, baby. Not this time."

"Aight then. Word. Two things I had called you to talk to you about though. But before even all that, I was considering something and maybe I'm thinking way ahead on this shit, but say you and myself last another 6 months without either fucking around on each other or killing each other in either rap beefs or in real life. Then I'd want you to one day meet my daughter, but I ain't jumping the gun on something like that, you feel me?"

A strange chill goes up my spine, and I suddenly feel so strangely vulnerable and exposed.

Why would he even ask something like this of me??

That's like... way too personal and would be way to big of a step in this... thing he and I are doing with each other. I don't even know what it is.

"Meet your daughter one day, Em? Aren't we getting like WAYYYYY ahead of ourselves?"

"Shit. Maybe. That's exactly why I had said IF we even last that long, aight? But say for the dumb argument's sake that we did. Then you'd have to meet Hai cause she's legit the most important thing in my life. She's my world."

"I get it," I say softly.

"Aight, I probably have made it awkward for you just now, so imma chill," Hearing him nervously chuckle, I smile as well.

Oh, and for the record...

I swear if any other dude would've suggested me one day meeting one of his kids, I probably would've been hang up on him already.

"So two things that I've called you about, rhinestone," He then continues to talk matter-of-factly.

As though the nonsense he just spoke about didn't just uppend my world in the weirdest way.

Meet his kid one day, like literally, what is the white boy thinking?!

Cause I won't even be good with kids, not sure I like them at all.

Not to mention, whyyyyy??

We are just fucking, so there's absolutely no need for...

"One, once you get back to your hotel, I've arranged for something to be delivered there for you. I think you might like that shit too."

"You... got me a Christmas present, Em? Omg, you didn't have to. And I literally didn't even get you anything. Shit. Now I almost feel bad. But I didn't think..."

Messing around with the same dude on a regular basic really is complicated. Like damn...

"It's cool, baby, I ain't expect you to, but check this out. I wanted to buy you something nice. Ya know, back when I was a nobody and broke as fuck,I could barely afford to buy any broad I was fucking with nice things. But I can now. And that shit sort of feels good, I ain't even gonna front. So maybe it was more about me than it was about you. But still. I think you'd like it. Or rather, I'm hoping that you would."

"I'm sure I'll love it, but..."

"Then, the second thing.."

"Nigga, don't you dare interrupt me when I talk!"

"And as I was saying before I was rudely interruped."

"Marshall!!"

"The second thing I had wanted to talk to you about is simple, see. Christmas is all about my daughter, but I then was thinking, New Year's Eve? Yeah, imma spend the first half of that day with Hai, but once she and Alaina go to sleep, myself and the fellas, we planning on hitting a few clubs in Detroit and party like grown ass folks, you know what I'm saying? And I want my girl to join me for that shit. So I'm flying you out to the D on the 31st. We'll chill and have a good time. And you can bring ya sister along with you, and one of your friends too, the broad that messes with Kuniva sometimes. He been saying he wanna see her. But leave that other one, the hating ass sour-faced bitch behind."

"You mean, Kayla?"

"Swear I ain't never wanted to punch a broad in her face so badly before in my life. And that ain't gonna be a good look for me, you feel me? Tabloids already calling me a woman abuser and shit.."

As Marshall continues to talk to me, all of a sudden, I hear one of his friend's voice pop-up in the back.

"Nah Slim, let her bring ole girl. Bizzy has a crush on her. Fat nigga been saying all that chick needs is some good loving and she'll mellow out," one of the guys blurts out, followed by all of them hollering out laughing.

"Ignore him," Marshall scoffs while I roll my eyes.

"I am. Cause no offense to Rufus, but I don't think he'd be Kay's type," I state, checking my makeup in the mirror, my eyes then traveling down my body and checking my belly ring. Damn, I look good, and I honestly sort of with the white boy could see me right now. I'm sure he'd like my look for tonight.

"Story of my life," Bizarre then can be heard grumbling from a distance in the meantime. "Hot chicks always frontin pretending like they ain't want all this."

The guys then all guffaw in the background before Marshall barks at them to shut the fuck up.

There's more shuffling heard from his end of the phone line, and another door snaps shut. I'm assuming that he had moved away from them to yet another empty room of his house.

"My bad about all that. But yeah. You, rolling through or nah? Should I let Paul know to make the arrangements?"

"Um, yeah, sure. But white boy? Whatever arrangements it is, YOU better be the one making them. If you wanna spend time with me, then you best be the one arranging it. Also, my friend, Kayla? She is indeed coming. You might not like her, and frankly, hoe gets on my own nerves at times, I literally had to smack some sense into her right before you called me, but at the end of it all, she's still my good sis. And if you wanna include one of The Diamond Cuts in something, then it literally means all of us."

"Fine. Whatever the fuck you want, baby. Just bring your fine ass on so we could party on some Rockstar type of shit, you know what I'm saying?"

Hanging up the phone with my... boyfriend or whatever Marshall is to me, I accidentally catch my reflection in the mirror once more, and I almost don't recognize the girl that stares back at me for a few seconds.

Simply because she just appears to be so...

I don't even know how to describe it, but this bitch seems to be sort of weak to me, and I'm not sure I like it. Like this isn't how I normally am...